Each week we are looking at two shops competing in the same sector and reviewing what they are offering customers: from how helpful the staff are, to the best bargains currently on offer.

Our review will be based on a visit to stores on the same high street or in the same shopping centre, so it will be just a snapshot of how the retailer is performing in a particular place.

I order to get a better idea of which retailers are delivering and which are falling short, we would like you to tell us about your experiences in your local branches of the same shops.

Some weeks, both stores we visit may do a good job, other weeks there will be one that stands out as being much better or worse. Your reviews will help us discover if this is a national trend or just a problem with the particular branch we visited.

This week, Waterstone's takes on WH Smith. Please continue to tell us which stores you would like us to go to.

Waterstone's

Background Waterstone's opened in 1982 on the Old Brompton Road and now has almost 300 outlets. Previously owned by WH Smith, it was also part of the HMV Group until earlier this year when it was sold to a fund controlled by Alexander Mamut.

The visit 12.35pm, 13 December, Guildford.

What it sells Books, newspapers, magazines, games, cards and calendars.

First impressions The store looked Christmassy from the outside with plenty of displays promoting the latest books, and was unstuffy and bright inside. Sections are logically laid out across three floors and despite being well-stocked it seems un-cluttered, because the low-level shelves and waist-height tables allow you to see across the store.

What were the staff like? Helpful and polite. Within a minute of getting through the door I was approached, and the assistant advised me on a good book for my son. Not only that, a customer then gave me more information and advice, almost (but not quite) persuading me to fork out for a special edition of an Anthony Horowitz book. When I asked for a book they didn't stock they offered to have it by the end of the week. Best bargain Life of Lee (Lee Evans autobiography) £10.

What does it charge? Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson £5.99; Sanctus by Simon Toyne £5.99; Guinness Book of Records £10; Inheritance by Christopher Paolini £9.49.

Where can I pay? There were 13 tills on three floors with only a minute or two's wait despite there being about 80 people in-store.

Is loyalty rewarded? Waterstone's has its own loyalty card offering three points for every pound you spend. Each point is worth 1p. I also noticed this branch has a scheme whereby for every £10 you spend you get a stamp, and with 10 stamps you get a £10 gift card.

Lasting impressions The store engages customers with props, for example in the children's section there was a Dalek, Tintin's Captain Haddock and the green dragon from Inheritance. The crime section had police ticker tape surrounding some of the book stations, and there are recommendations on cards below books for people seeking inspiration. Book signings are another great attraction. This store had Rob Brydon coming in to promote his autobiography – you could already buy a signed copy, go to the first floor and enjoy a mocha cappuccino in the in-house Costa Coffee while reading the first chapter.

Overall rating 7/10.

WH Smith

Background WH Smith is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is part of the FTSE mid 250 Index. It has about 1,000 stores primarily in the UK, employing more than 17,000 staff, and sells more than 30m books annually.

The visit 1pm, 13 December, Guildford.

What it sells Stationery, books, newspapers and magazines.

First impressions Posters of WH Smith's Kobo dominate the windows of this two-floor store leaving all other products in the shade. As you enter, the half-price display has only three books on it with plenty of gaps. The store seems cluttered with views obscured by high shelves. The book section was upstairs and was even more untidy with unattended storage boxes and book trolleys blocking shelves. Dull and dreary, it could do with a makeover and a lick of paint or three.

What were the staff like? Pre-occupied. I approached an assistant and asked about books – they didn't make eye contact and told me I needed to find a book specialist who would be "wandering around" over there. When I asked for a book they didn't stock they just said it wasn't in-store; there was no offer to order it in.

Best bargain It was £12 for both Gordon Ramsay's Christmas with Gordon and Brian Cox's Wonders of the Solar System.

What does it charge? Girl with the Dragon Tattoo £7.99, although a second book for half-price including Sanctus (normally £7.99). Also, O2 Priority customers could get the Stieg Larsson novel for half-price. Guinness Book of Records £10; Inheritance £12.99.

Where can I pay? There were 12 tills downstairs including six self-serve checkouts. On the book floor there were six tills and the waiting time was about two minutes – this floor was considerably quieter than downstairs where the waiting time was about three minutes with about 15 people waiting, though there was no queue at the self-serve checkouts. The tills were well staffed.

Is loyalty rewarded? WH Smith runs a Privilege Club, giving you £20 of vouchers when you join, and then money off vouchers every month.

Lasting impressions Messy. I get the impression they are relocating/refurbishing due to the huge amount of clutter, but there are no signs saying so. Many of the top paperbacks were on a buy-one-get-one-half-price deal, but that still meant about £11-£12 for two books.

Overall rating 4.5/10.

Marc's verdict As a book store Waterstone's wins hands down, creating the right environment for browsing and buying. Although I debate the wisdom of selling games, magazines and stationery in space that could be better used for books: if customers find their chosen book isn't in-store it risks losing yet another sale/customer to the cheaper and well-stocked internet alternatives.

WH Smith wants to be Britain's most popular bookseller (as well as stationer and newsagent) and reminds me of Woolworths: a functional store with no specialist area – it stocks everything from books to will-writing sets, with photos and boardgames in between. I use this as a last minute shop, to pick up a birthday card, a holiday book I've forgotten to purchase earlier, or a Mars bar (which aren't cheap at 77p for a standard size) to cure a sweet fix. I would hazard a guess that away from Christmas a considerable amount of the 320 million annual customers are visiting the 561 travel outlets.

Last week

Toys R Us just about edged out Smyths with 170 votes compared to 161, and to be fair to the latter a few readers had never even heard of it.

salamandertome was among several readers to admit to this, while remaining uneffusive in their praise of Toys R Us:

"I've never heard of Smyths. Toys R Us have always been OK, but most of my toy shopping is done online – the prices seem to vary wildly, I suppose because most toys are 5% cost of manufacture, 95% pester power."

DavidN1, meanwhile, had only good things to say about the Smyths online service:

"I bought online from Smyths. Not only the lowest online price but their service is amazing! I got a text to tell me the day of delivery, I could change it by return text, and then another to tell me the one hour window of delivery. Awesome!!!"

Watty145 summed up a few people's feelings on Toys R Us and these kinds of shops in general:

"In terms of choice and price, Toys R Us usually take some beating. However, like so many out-of-town retailers they fall down on customer service."

Let us know which of today's stores you favour, or leave a comment if you think one of the other high street chains offers better choice or prices.